U.S. ETFs Saw Record Inflows in 2013 –BlackRock

U.S. investors poured money into exchange traded funds at a record pace in 2013, led by heavy demand for stock funds, according to data released Monday from BlackRock Inc.

U.S.-listed ETFs and their cousins — exchange-traded notes—took in a record $190.5 billion in 2013, narrowly topping last year’s record of $187.4 billion. Record inflows in 2013 raised the assets held in U.S. ETFs to $1.7 trillion.

Stock ETFs pulled in a record $204.3 billion last year, with help from a record $137.6 billion going into U.S. stock ETFs.

Out of favor were gold ETFs as the price of the precious metal slumped 28% and ended a 12-year streak of gains. The $31.5 billion SPDR Gold Trust saw withdrawals of $25 billion, the biggest yearly withdrawal for a single ETF on record. The $6.4 billion iShares Gold Trust saw $2.4 billion in redemptions.